James Franco is facing another embarrassment following the launch of a new short film he directed for Gucci, in which he appears to pursue a model.

The 127 Hours star hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons last week after screenshots of an Instagram conversation between him and 17-year-old Scottish schoolgirl Lucy Clode were picked up by media outlets.

Franco has since blamed "bad judgment" for his attempt to woo the teenager via the photo sharing site, revealing he feels "embarrassed" by the incident.

And he's set for another red face after posting a clip of the new short film he both directed and starred in on Instagram on Tuesday.

The film features footage of him trying to court a woman, played by 28-year-old model Natalia Bonifacci at Hollywood hotspot the Chateau Marmont.

The campaign video for the luxury brand's Techno Color sunglasses collection also features clips of Franco watching Bonifacci swimming in a pool and following her through a garden. The couple finally kiss in front of a large Gucci billboard, before driving away in his sports car.

Franco has been appearing in ads for Gucci since 2009, and even produced the 2013 documentary The Director, about the Italian fashion house's creative director, Frida Giannini.